[[quoteright:344:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/karateka_fighting_akuma_5811.png]][[caption-width-right:344: The game that started [[BeatEmUp it all]]. Note the infamous gate.]]->[...] Karateka'' for the NES, a nice little game where you have to fight a procession of people wearing increasingly silly hats. Then you get killed by a gate.''-->'''Creator/StuartAshen''', [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA3WogFaeFQ "Quickest Game Overs ever? Part 2"]]

A BeatEmUp game originally developed for the UsefulNotes/AppleII system by Jordan Mechner and published by Creator/BroderbundSoftware in 1984. ''Karateka'' puts you in the role of a heroic karate expert who must infiltrate the fortress of Akuma, who has kidnapped the lovely Princess Mariko. To do this, he must initially climb a mountain and get through the bodyguards who hold the entrance. Once inside the fortress, he must fight still more bodyguards and Akuma's eagle and pass the infamous death gate, before fighting Akuma himself.

The game employed rotoscoping technology for surprisingly realistic movements, a technique which would be used to similar effect in Mechner's following game, ''VideoGame/{{Prince of Persia|1}}''. It is more well known in modern times as an [[MemeticMutation Internet meme]] featuring the titular hero dancing to MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This".

For the 30th anniversary of the game, Mechner, alongside developer Creator/LiquidEntertainment, [[http://www.karateka.com released a remake]], now available on Steam and XBLA.

----!!Tropes included:

* CutScene: Notable as possibly the first game to ever have them.* DamselInDistress* DynamicDifficulty / MercyMode: The remake has this, after a fashion. There are three different playable characters - Mariko's [[FragileSpeedster True Love]], the [[JackOfAllStats Monk]], and the [[MightyGlacier Brute]] -- but you don't get to pick. Instead, you start play as the True Love. Losing as him causes you to continue at the point where you died as the Monk, who has more health and does more damage. Losing as the Monk causes you to continue as the Brute, who has the same amount of health as the Monk but takes less damage and does much more. Also, you can revive the Brute at the cost of the points you've accumulated.* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses* FinalDeath: One life, no continues allowed.* GuideDangIt: The infamous second level grate. How to get past it varies between versions. [[spoiler:For instance, on the NES, port you have to stand a running step back, and run so that the grate closes in your face without killing you.]]* GroinAttack: [[spoiler:Mariko does this if you do not run straight at her.]]* KaizoTrap: [[spoiler:If you approach Mariko in combat stance in the ending, she'll kick you into a NonStandardGameOver.]]* LetsFightLikeGentlemen: If you approach an opponent in a non-combat stance, they will patiently stand there and wait for you to challenge them; furthermore, if you bow to them, they will return the bow.* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: "Akuma" means "devil" in Japanese.* MadeOfIron: The Brute blocks punches with his ''stomache''.* MookChivalry: The enemies all approach the hero one at a time and do not carry weapons.* {{Mooks}}** EliteMooks* MultipleEndings: Possibly the UrExample for video games. At the end of the game, your character either rescues Mariko or is killed by her, depending on whether or not you're in fighting stance when you approach her.** In the remake, they're determined by your character -- Mariko ''wants'' to be rescued by her True Love [[GoldenEnding and is overjoyed when he arrives]]. She is fairly accepting of the Monk, who secretly longed for her ever since catching a glimpse of her when she visited his temple. The Brute, however, slings Mariko over his shoulder caveman-style, though Mariko doesn't really complain all that much. The game then states that while "Mariko appreciates the Brute's bravery", the player should try again "with a rescuer that will make Mariko even happier".* MysticalWhiteHair: The original Mariko.* OpeningScroll* PointBuildSystem: The Gameboy version gave you points at the start to distribute among [[GlassCannon power]], [[MightyGlacier health]], and [[FragileSpeedster speed]], plus a couple of them for each completed level.* PressStartToGameOver: The game starts near a cliff, and the protagonist cannot ''run'' backwards. But you can still use the combat stance to walk back and fall to your death. Alternately, if you haven't learned the controls yet, you may start running forward straight into the first {{mook|s}}'s foot, which is a OneHitKill while running.* RescueRomance: Complete with StandardHeroReward and FootPopping.* {{Rotoscoping}}* ScoringPoints: In the remake. Points are accumulated by defeating enemies (with a higher reward for less damage or better yet, [[FlawlessVictory no damage at all]], as well as extra points for bosses), reaching certain checkpoints, reaching certain checkpoints with a particular character, among other things.* ShouldersOfDoom* SillinessSwitch: The original floppy disk game had 2 slightly different versions of the game on both sides of the disk. If you accidentally stuck the floppy disk in upside down, the game would still load and play... upside down.* SoundCodedForYourConvenience: In the remake, you'll hear musical notes right as an enemy attacks you. The number of notes corresponds to how many attacks you will have to block. However, bosses will not have these cues.* WouldHitAGirl: Zig-zagged. In the remake's intro, Akuma holds out his hand to Mariko, who knocks it aside. He raises it with a snarl, looking like he's going to backhand her, then turns and leaves.----